Simpson Court has seen few cars in recent weeks.
Photo by Peter DiNatale/The Choate News
Amid the global coronavirus pandemic, all local restaurants have been ordered by the Connecticut Governor’s Office to stay closed and operate on a takeout and pickup-only basis until at least April 30. This decision follows similar orders issued nationwide that have brought plummeting revenues and increased unemployment rates.
In Wallingford, owners have taken various approaches to surviving the pandemic. Some restaurants that normally rely entirely on customers who dine-in, such as The Library, Half Moon Café, and Iron Chef, have chosen to completely shut down until further notice instead of switching to a takeout or pickup system. Meanwhile, several other local restaurants such as Pure Alchemy and Colony Diner have diligently tried to keep operating under these special circumstances, reducing their business hours and revamping their menu to better fit their new business models.
For Colony Diner, a local comfort food joint frequently visited by Choate students, the transition was a difficult but necessary step. Mr. Eric Celik, the owner of the diner, said, “Our priority first and foremost is to help our customers and employees through this. It’s unfortunate that this pandemic has happened, and we hope that everyone can remain safe by staying at home.”
For the past few weeks, the diner has been using platforms such as UberEats and DoorDash to facilitate pickup and delivery, although those efforts don’t replace its once bustling dine-in business. “Around 75% of our sales now come from pickup,” Mr. Celik said.
Although social distancing limits the efficiency of food delivery and packaging, many local restaurants have found creative ways to get past this obstacle. Café Ra has adopted a careful separation system, in which employees who take orders in the front of the restaurant stay away from employees making food in the back. They have implemented curbside pickup, allowing customers to get their food while practicing social distancing.
Several restaurants are now participating in a raffle hosted by Wallingford Center Inc., a non-profit organization that advocates for historical preservation and revitalization of the town. The activity was organized to encourage more residents to support local restaurants that may be suffering from coronavirus restrictions. Each time customers spend more than fifteen dollars at a participating restaurant, they can enter their name into the raffle for a chance to win a $25.00 gift card to one of the restaurants.
Regardless of how well each restaurant has adjusted, the biggest sentiment among local restaurants is the hope for a quick resolution to the pandemic. “Social gatherings in our café have stopped, and we never see the older population anymore,” says Mr. Christian Rao, the owner of Café Ra. He added, “We really miss Choate a lot.”
